TWO months ago, a mysterious promo full of computer code and
Matrix-like graphics aired on Raw. It was not referred to by
commentators and was written off by many as a Cyber Sunday
vignette.
Eagle-eyed viewers, though, spotted a host of references to a man
we had not seen since leaving the WWE after a youre fired match
with John Cena in July 2005.
It looked like it was the Second Coming of Y2J.
The following week, though, the clues seem to hint towards the
absent Shawn Michaels, and the whole wrestling world was talking
about the mysterious Save_US code. Despite several PPVs, Wellness
Policy controversies and high-profile stars leaving the company,
the code was still a hot talking point.
But in recent weeks, it has become increasingly obvious that Chris
Jericho was the focus of the viral campaign. Last Monday was all
but confirmed as the return date, and surely the WWE were looking
to this day to when the ratings would spike, and the return of the
former Lionheart would save the company.
It was not to be. The Nielson ratings which determine the viewing
figures for Raw stood, the week previous, at 3.5.
The return of Jericho put the ratings at...
3.5. No change.
To put that in perspective, the average rating this year has been
around the 3.6-3.7 mark.
The return was left until the end of the show. WWE champion Randy
Orton had been showing up on Raw all night, laying RKOs on Jerry
Lawler, Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly while proclaiming that there
would be a Passing of the Torch ceremony, later in the
night.
As the final segment aired, a long distance runner, complete with
Olympic Torch, entered the arena. Before he reached the ring,
though, he was clotheslined by a recognisable blonde figure, who
then posed in a manner appropriate for the first Undisputed
champion.
Of course, it was Y2J, and after the Jericode aired, we saw a
familiar countdown and then the man himself.
When Jericho debuted back in 1999, he interrupted The Rock in
possibly the most memorable debut ever. It was a shock to most, and
his initial exchange with the proprietor of the Smackdown Hotel was
simply electrifying.
Mondays return reminded us just how good Y2J is as a promo guy
as you can see below.
It is interesting to see that he has been thrust straight into a
programme with Randy Orton, seemingly. It remains to be seen
whether, after over two years in the wrestling wilderness, hell be
able to recreate the old magic.
And recreating the old magic is exactly what the WWE need to do. In
their best period, between 1998 and 2000, shows were regularly
filled with great action, twists in storylines and well written
promos. Today, things are so much more predictable.
The slow decline in ratings is showing that people are increasingly
switching off to this formulaic brand of television. Wrestlers,
feuds and promos are interchangeable now. But there is light at the
end of the tunnel.
Survivor Series was a decent Pay Per View, and saw a run-in from
Edge which should spark a big angle with Undertaker.
It had two title matches in which guessing the winner was far from
an easy task.
And, although it was during a Hornswaggle/Khali comedy bout, Finlay
inserted himself into McMahons business, and his involvement on
Raw was a long way from making the situation any clearer.
The way forward for the WWE is not to promote big one-off returns
and outrageous matches and then forget to deliver on the rest of
the show. If promotion of events by virtue of short-term fixes is
not working, then simply make sure that the product as a whole is
solid.
The current audience is the core viewership. To get back the
floating viewers, the WWE need to provide a high level of quality
on a consistent basis, so that wrestling once again becomes a
must-see product, and not something people can dip in and out of
now and again, and nothing much has changed.
It isnt Y2J who will Save Us, it is consistently high quality
programming.
